376 THE LOUSE. 



polished armour neatly jointed, from which a number 

 of small points may be discerned, bearing some resem- 

 blance to a porcupine's quills. 



OF THE LOUSE AND ITS VARIETIES. 



Of all the animals which create antipathy, none are 

 capable of exciting it in a greater degree than the louse ; 

 for it may not only be considered in the light of a tor- 

 mentor, but as an emblem of poverty, wretchedness, and 

 disgrace. If examined through a microscope, its exter- 

 nal deformity is in itself sufficient to produce disgust; 

 the skin is hard, and, when stretched, transparent, and 

 spread over with bristly hairs: the fore-part of the head 

 is lather oblong, in the centre of it is a kind of trunk, 

 and on each side two horns, behind which the eyes are 

 discernable, without any division between : the neck is 

 very short, the breast is separated into three distinct 

 "* parts, on each side of which grows three legs, covered 

 like the body with bristly hairs, and terminating in 

 two pointed claws. 



There is scarce any animal that multiplies so fast as 

 this unwelcome intruder upon the comforts of mankind ; 

 and the ancients had a disease termed the pthiraisis, 

 which fortunately amongst moderns is very little 

 known. Herod Antiochus, Epiphanes, Phereeydcs, 

 Cassander, Callisthenes, Sylla, and the poet Alemon, 

 all died of this dreadful disorder, and their bodies were 

 covered with this obnoxious insect, in the same manner 

 as they may be observed upon trees. They cast their 

 skins four times, like many other insects; and the males 

 alone have four wings. 



It would be endless to describe the varieties of this 

 species, which all animated nature have reason to dread, 

 for fish, fowl, and quadrupeds, are equally annoyed by 



